Conventionally, door hoist systems are utilized to operate a variety of doors. Particular examples of doors operated via a door hoist include rolling type, sectional, and the like. These types of doors are typically utilized for controlling access to garages, warehouses, etc. In the event of a fire, it is generally beneficial to close these doors to limit the amount of oxygen supplied to the fire and slow the spread of fire from one side of the door to the other.
Conventional electronic fire door systems are generally electronically or computer operated. Such systems are costly to design, install, and maintain. In addition, conventional electronic fire door systems are generally significantly larger than a standard door hoist. As such, retrofitting electronic fire door systems into an existing building may require structural alteration of the building. As a result, the installation and maintenance of electronic fire door systems may be cost prohibitive in some instances.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus capable of overcoming the disadvantages described herein at least to some extent.